Expert witness Michal Molnar, in the John Freshwater hearing, described how an investigation against a teacher, accused of harming a student, should be handled.

Talk to parents and student and get written statement

Talk to student without parents if permission is given (to make sure parents are not pressuring student to lie)

Talk to teacher and get written statement

Talk to everyone who could have been around when the incident happened

At any point if it looks like the complaint was false the investigation would be dropped

Contact Children's Services and they would take over the investigation

Give Children's Services all written statements gathered and help them in any way possible in their investigation

Molnar went on to say that while this is how he would have done the investigation, it could be done differently but that if the school considers the complaint valid they are required by law to report it to Children's Services.

Ohio Revised Code 2151.421 states that a "...school teacher; school employee; school authority... who is acting in an official or professional capacity and knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect... that a child under eighteen years of age... has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental wound, injury, disability..." is required to report it to Children's Services.

The Mount Vernon School did not follow this method in their investigation they:

never talked to all of those present when the incident allegedly happened.

did not get written statements from those they did talk to.

did not contact Children's Services even though they thought that a child might have been harmed